Former Chief Jeffrey Roosa, pictured in 2013
Credit Jim Levulis / WAMC
A father of three, Roosa was named chief in 2013 and retired in January of this year.
Roosa was among 70 candidates who vied for the position of chief, after the ouster of former Chief Joseph Buffis.
A Berkshire County native, Roosa began his law enforcement career with the Sheffield Police Department before returning to serve his hometown of Lee in 2001. He was promoted to sergeant in February 2012 and was named chief in December of the following year.
Among those mourning the former chief is Massachusetts State Representative “Smitty” Pignatelli.
“The thing about I admired the most about him was that he never shied away from this horrific disease,” Pignatelli told WAMC. “It still has no cure. He was very open about it. And just a few weeks ago I saw him at a very public event and he never shied away from it. He embraced it. The community has reached out and just loved him so much.”